Thank you Turtle Beach/PDP for sending us this controller to review!

Almost five years ago, I reviewed one of PDP's wireless Nintendo Switch controllers, the PDP Afterglow Wireless Deluxe Controller. It's a pretty solid controller that has given us nearly five years of service, even if it had one major flaw that made it hard to charge up, a deeply recessed Micro-USB port. While the lack of rumble was regrettable, and the head-scratching choice of a Micro-USB port to charge it was frustrating at times, it has otherwise performed wonderfully, especially when there was a large group ready for some Smash Bros and every controller was needed. I requested this updated Afterglow Wave controller, hoping to see how much progress they've made in five years. The answer? A bunch of tiny improvements that do add up to a better controller, though only the most observant are likely to notice most of the changes.

The first-party Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is great, but quite pricey at $69.99. It has a lot of features, including more obscure ones like Amiibo NFC support. But it does stand alone supporting HD Rumble; it's a real shame no licensed 3rd-party controllers support this, as it really benefits certain games. PDP sells only licensed controllers, so if a feature isn't available for licensees, they don't offer it. I don't know this for certain, but looking over Nintendo's list of 3rd-party licensed controllers, I don't see a single one that supports HD Rumble, so PDP isn't alone in not supporting it. Some 3rd-party controller offer some form of Rumble, but they aren't licensed by Nintendo. Fortunately, motion controls are available on this PDP Afterglow Wave.

The Afterglow Wave is extremely similar to the older Afterglow from five years ago. Both offer largely the same feature set, like two rear buttons (well the older model used paddles, but are functionally equivalent) and motion controls. They both also offer RGB lighting, though I personally find this newer model's more tasteful understated wave lighting to be much nicer than the clear bright LEDs of the older one. If you set them side by side, the familial resemblance is certainly there. And yet, there are subtle improvements that make this the best Afterglow controller I've tested, and in some key ways, even better than Nintendo's own.

First, let me reiterate the one thing I disliked the most about the old Afterglow: the Micro-USB charging port. There really was no good excuse for why a Nintendo Switch controller would use that cable to charge, since all other Nintendo products designed for Switch used a USB-C port. You can't change the past, but it was a big head-scratcher for sure. Thankfully, this Afterglow Wave includes a proper flush-mount USB-C port like every other self-respecting controller in this modern age. So with that out of the way, let's look at the more subtle fixes and improvements, while also keeping the more expensive Pro Controller in mind.

While there is a certain charm to clear plastic, I much prefer the stronger-feeling polymer this Afterglow Wave uses. Clear plastic tends to be more brittle than the more rigid type used in the Wave, so it's likely to take a drop better. While the front of the controller is mostly smooth, the rear of the handles has a nice textured pattern that I prefer on my controllers, as it helps keep your palms from feeling sticky during long play sessions.

The analog sticks feel nice, and are virtually identical to the older ones. It appears to me these are somewhat of a signature style of stick for PDP, and are ridged with horizontal rings around the outside, with a textured crosshatched circle in the center of the concave ring. While it doesn't look as premium as it could be, it feels great to use and maintains a solid grip when in use.

The buttons are membrane, and I would say they are somewhat loud. The Pro Controller has quieter, softer main B/A/Y/X buttons, with the newer Wave coming next, and the older Afterglow having the hardest to press buttons. These newer ones on the Wave are a big improvement over the older one. The bumpers and triggers are also much better on the newer model. The old Afterglow has tiny triggers that are nearly impossible to use at the same time as the bumpers. These newer ones are not quite as large as Nintendo's Pro Controller, but are a nice middle ground that makes the bumpers a bit larger and meatier, and the triggers are nearly as nice as Nintendo's. It's a big improvement here. The rear buttons are also better, and require less force to activate.

Another important improvement is in the D-Pad. It's kind of strange that Nintendo, who invented the controller D-Pad and even patented it (they since expired), has made such terrible D-Pads on the Switch generation. They feel okay, but it's so easy to get unwanted diagonals it's hard to do well in games requiring precision. The Afterglow Wave's D-Pad is much, much better; enough so that I would pick this controller over the Pro if I was playing a 2D precision platformer or shooter. I also think this newer Wave is subtly better than the older Afterglow, with the D-Pad requiring a bit less finger pressure to activate.

The built-in lighting has several modes, including solid colors, a fade in and out effect, constantly rotating between them all, and reactive colors, based on the movement of the analog sticks. You can also adjust the brightness, which has five settings and off, and the color, which has pretty much every common bright LED color. I also like that the LED colors are confined to the side by your hands and the ring around the analog sticks; this means it's a tasteful accent without brightening the room you are in (unlike the older Afterglow).

This controller has been flawless in use, as I would expect from a Nintendo-licensed product. (A lot of the cheaper ones are not licensed, and may have mixed results.) It also has a two-year warranty, which most cheap clones do not have. While unlicensed controllers have come a long way, and we have even reviewed some that work well for us, you just never know what you're getting. Some third-party ones work well, while others have a hard time pairing or connecting when you want them to. The quality level is going to vary greatly with unlicensed controllers, where with this PDP, it's going to be reliable every time, or you can contact technical support if you have a problem. Sometimes reliability is worth that piece of mind of a licensed product.

The PDP Afterglow Wave Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch is a perfectly usable and downright decent third-party Pro Controller replacement, or supplement. While I am likely to grab the Pro Controller for single player experiences since I really love haptic feedback, for large group games like Smash or Mario Kart, these Afterglow controllers look and feel great in operation. They also work on Steam because Valve added Nintendo Switch controller support, which was a welcome surprise. If you are going to do that, you need to sync and connect via Bluetooth; a wired connection doesn't work. Regardless, while the lack of rumble is regrettable, the PDP Afterglow Wave is a perfectly fine controller, if you don't need every feature under the sun. After all, Nintendo's own Switch Lite console doesn't even include HD Rumble, so many gamers simply won't miss it - and your wallet will be all the happier. Recommended.